NAMI Upper Valley is proud to join with Idaho Gives to help raise money for our nonprofit on May 5th, 2016. Last year nearly $1.1 million dollars for nonprofits were raised in one day! NAMI Upper Valley is asking each of it’s members to spread the word!

To make a donation go to www.idahogives.org. In the search, type NAMI Upper Valley, Inc. that will take them to our donation page, or click on the link below.

Ask your friends and family to celebrate giving, to choose NAMI Upper Valley, and help us fulfill our mission, to improve the lives of those with a mental illness and their families. Their donation will help us fund our Family to Family classes; the yearly Free Picnic for those with mental illness and their families; the 4th of July parade, candy and information about NAMI, classes and support groups are handed out along the parade route.

Almost everyone donates to a nonprofit during the year, it’s tax deductible! Each of us could donate and make a difference on May 5th and help the NAMI organization. Thanks for your consideration!

NAMI is proud to sponsor with the Idaho Nonprofit Center for Idaho Gives on May 5th, 2016. This is a chance for all of you to donate to NAMI Upper Valley. Last year nonprofits, volunteers, business leaders and everyday Idahoans came together to raise nearly $1.1 million for Idaho’s nonprofits in just 24 hours! Join with us on May 5th, 2016 to donate to your favorite causes, making this date Idaho’s biggest philanthropic giving event.
Follow and Like us on our Facebook page, NAMI East Idaho.
Follow and Like Idaho Gives on their facebook page
A donation to NAMI Upper Valley will help us to continue our Family to Family Classes, our twice monthly Support Groups and the yearly picnic for consumers and their families.
Our mission is to improve the lives of those with a mental illness and their families.
Thank you for your consideration.

This webinar was sponsored and put on by NAMI National. The speakers were Sita Diehl, NAMI’s Director of Policy and State Outreach and Jessica Hart, NAMI’s Manager, Advocacy Communications. They spoke on do’s , don’ts and the best practices for nonprofits, elections and NAMI grassroots lobbying.
Here are some of the highlights:
Why is advocacy so important right now? Mental illness is in the headlines and we need to change the conversation. We need to be pro-active in contacting our legislators and senators about any mental health bill in our state. Stand Up and Speak Up! NAMI is grassroots lobbying. We can back any candidate personally, but if we are speaking for NAMI we must include all candidates and not show support for anyone candidate.
It is important that we get out and vote and help those suffering from mental illness to make sure they register and they vote. We might enlist the help of the providers of services to help with registration(which can be done on election day) and provide rides for their clients. If they are registering the day of the elections, they must have proof of ID and something that has their name and their current address. If they have a Idaho ID card with that information that is all they need. If they do not have an ID card or Driver’s license they can use any picture ID and some mail, a check, a utility bill, anything that shows their name and address. They must register and vote in their correct precinct.
There are some people with disabilities that think they can not vote. This is not true, unless they are a convicted felon, they can vote.
NAMI National is promoting the #ACT 4 MENTAL HEALTH campaign. Their goal is to have candidates, if they are elected, to act on NAMI’s priorities.
1. Increase availability of quality mental health care.
2. Promote early identification and intervention.
3. Reduce criminalization of mentally ill people
4. Enforce mental health insurance parity
5 Support mental health caregivers
Use the following opportunities to help raise awareness:
Attend and participate in town hall meetings, League of Women Voters, campaign events, state primary elections or caucus’s. Make contact with the candidates on their social media pages. NAMI finds that many the candidates are uneducated and uninformed about NAMI and it’s mission. They need us to help get the word out. Lets step up and do our part.

My name is Eja Allen and I am the new president of NAMI. I am excited to serve and help promote NAMI in our area. NAMI has given hope and help to those suffering from mental illness and their families for years. My vision is to work with the wonderful and knowledgeable NAMI board and other organizations that work with NAMI in our mission to improve the lives of those with a mental illness and their families. NAMI Upper Valley Idaho wants to promote and disseminate information about mental illness. NAMI holds Family to Family Classes to inform and support loved ones of those living with mental illness. There is a Support Group that meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesday’s of each month at 7:00 pm at 555 W. 25th Street in Idaho Falls. NAMI Upper Valley also passes along information we receive from NAMI National. We also have our own facebook page, NAMI Upper Valley Idaho, visit and like our page.

NAMI Family-to-Family is a free, 12-session education program for family, partners, friends and significant others of adults living with mental illness. The course is designed to help all family members understand and support their loved one living with mental illness, while maintaining their own well-being. The course includes information on illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression and other mental health conditions. Thousands of families describe the program as life-changing. The program is taught by trained teachers who are also family members and know what it is like to have a loved one living with mental illness.

Gaining empathy by understanding the subjective, lived experience of a person with mental illness.

Guidance on locating appropriate supports and services within the community.

Acquiring strategies for handling crises and relapse.

Current research related to the biology of brain disorders and the evidence-based, most effective treatments to promote recovery.

Up-to-date information about medications and side effects

Focusing on care for the caregiver: coping with worry, stress, and emotional overload.

Participant Perspectives

“This course overall was the single most, without a doubt, helpful and informative thing ever offered in all my years searching for answers… It has helped me to understand better and communicate more effectively with my brother.”

“The course has helped me to realize that my son is still inside the body that is often times hidden by the mental illness and that I am not alone in this.”

We are starting Family to Family classes in Idaho Falls and Rexburg in September 2014. The Idaho Falls classes will start Wednesday, September 10, 2014. The Rexburg classes will start Thursday, September 11, 2014.